About Off-Ramp®

Off-Ramp ® is a lively weekly look at Southern California through the eyes and ears of radio veteran John Rabe. News, arts, home, life... covering everything that makes life here exciting, enjoyable, and interesting.

This week we're finding new ways to cook--and not cook--some of our favorite foods. We'll learn about a relatively new way to brew coffee, and we'll travel to the home of a writer who's learning how to roast her own beans using nothing more than a stovetop popcorn popper.

Raw Meat

Eat LA's Linda Burum talks about Los Angeles's new fascination with raw meat. There are plenty of new restaurants bringing raw meat to their patrons--but Burum says that's nothing new. Korean and Lebanese restaurants, for example, have served Angelenos uncooked meat for decades now. Here's a list of some of Linda Burum's favorites:

Now from something you don't want to cook, to something you do: coffee beans. Eat Los Angeles contributing editor Jean Barrett talked with professional roaster Ian Riley, who roasts beans for Plow and Gun Coffee. Did you know you can roast your own coffee beans at home using nothing more than a stovetop popcorn maker? Ian shows Jean how it's done.

Ian and Joseph Shuldiner of the Institute of Domestic Technology (and Eat LA) offer regular classes on the specifics of home roasting: where to buy green beans, what to look and listen for when roasting and you'll get a free pound of beans to get started.

The Aeropress

Speaking of coffee, Off-Ramp producer Kevin Ferguson stops by to show off the Aeropress. It's a relatively new coffee maker that's portable, cheap, easy to clean, and makes a surprisingly tasty cup of brew. Want to know how it works? Take a look at the video below for a demonstration from Kevin and the KPCC digital team:

You can pick up the new Eat Los Angeles 2012 book at your local bookstore, or you can download the e-book so you can keep it in your pocket.